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Let's say that your program has a shared log file object. The log file is likely to be a popular object; lots of different threads must be able to write to the file; and to avoid corruption, we need to ensure that only one thread may be writing to the file at any given time.
Quick: How would you serialize access to the log file?
Before reading on, please think about the question and pencil in some pseudocode to vet your design. More importantly, especially if you think this is an easy question with an easy answer, try to think of at least two completely different ways to satisfy the problem requirements, and jot down a bullet list of the advantages and disadvantages they trade off.
Ready? Then let's begin.
Option 1 (Easy): Use a Mutex (or Equivalent)
The most obvious answer is to use a mutex. The simplest code might look like that in Example 1(a):
// Example 1(a): Using a mutex (naive implementation) // // The log file, and a mutex that protects it File logFile = …; mutex_type mLogFile( … ); // Each caller locks the mutex to use the file lock( mLogFile ) { logFile.write( … ); logFile.write( … ); logFile.write( … ); } // unlock
If you've been paying attention to earlier installments of this column, you may have written it as shown in Example 1(b) instead, which lets us ensure that the caller doesn't accidentally write a race because he forgot to take a lock on the mutex (see [1] for details):
// Example 1(b): Using a mutex (improved implementation) // // Encapsulate the log file with the mutex that protects it struct LogFile { // Hide the file behind a checked accessor // (see [1] for details) PROTECTED_WITH( mutex_type ); PROTECTED_MEMBER( File, f ); // A convenience method to avoid writing "f()" a lot void write( string x ) { f().write( x ); } }; LogFile logFile; // Each caller locks the entire thing to use the file lock( logFile ) { logFile.f().write( … ); // we can use the f() accessor // explicitly logFile.write( … ); // but mostly let's use the logFile.write( … ); // convenience method }
Examples 1(a) and 1(b) are functionally equivalent, the latter is just more robust. Ignoring that for now, what are the advantages common to both expressions of our Option 1?
The main advantage of Option 1 is that it's correct and thread-safe. Protecting the log file with a mutex serializes callers to ensure that no two threads will be trying to write to the log file at the same time, so clearly we've solved the immediate basic requirement.
But is this the best solution? Unfortunately, Option 1 has two performance issues, one of them moderate and the other potentially severe.
The moderate performance problem is loss of concurrency among callers. If two calling threads want to write at the same time, one must block to wait for the other's work to complete before it can acquire the mutex to perform its own work, which loses concurrency and therefore performance.
The more serious issue is that using a mutex doesn't scale, and that becomes noticeable quickly for high-contention resources. Sharing is the root of all contention (see [2]), and there's plenty of potential contention here on this global resource. In particular, consider what happens when the log file is pretty popular, with lots of threads intermittently logging things, but the log file's write function is a slow, high-latency operation it may be disk- or network-bound, unbuffered, or slow for other reasons. Say that a typical caller is calling
logFile.write regularly, and that the calls to
logFile.write take about 1/10 of the wall-clock time of the caller's computation. That means that 10% of a typical caller's time spent inside the lock which means that at most 10 such threads can be active at once before they start piling up behind the lock and throttling each other. It's not really great to see the scalability of the entire program be limited to at most 10 such threads' worth of work.
We can do better. Given that there can be plenty of contention on this resource, the only winning strategy is not to share it…at least, not directly. Let's see how.


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What a fantastic idea! Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) ... a whole month dedicated to the celebration of jazz as something to treasure as part of our past, and present. Jazz is a genre of music that originated in African American communities during the late 19th and early 20th century. It emerged in many parts of the United States in the form of independent popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African American and European American musical parentage with a performance … [Read more...]
April celebrates 'JAM', Jazz Appreciation Month
March 25, 2015 by Team Celebration Leave a Comment
Filed Under: AMERICAN [U.S.A.], FEATURED EVENTS, MEN "Positive Action", Uncategorized, WOMEN "Positive Action", WOMEN of HISTORY, WORLD EVENTS Tagged With: A Celebration of Women, acelebrationofwomen.org, acid jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz, April celebrates 'JAM', avant-garde jazz, Bessie Smith, brass instruments, chamber jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, ethno jazz, Frank Sinatra, Glendon James on Sax, Indo jazz, Jazz Appreciation Month, jazz funk, jazz music, jazz musicians, jazz rap, Latin jazz, loft jazz, M-Base, nu jazz, punk jazz, saxaphone, saxaphone players, ska jazz, Smithsonian Museum, soul jazz, spiritual jazz, The Smithsonian, Toronto JAZZ, UNESCO, West Coast jazz, women in jazz

subset: commoncrawl


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Myth: The JBS is a radical organization full of right-wing extremists.-
Fact: The JBS is dedicated to restoring the Republic according to the vision of the Founding Fathers: limited government, individual liberty, and the rule of law. Along with America's Founders, we believe that governments are instituted to protect individual rights and liberties, and are not formed to provide for the wants of individuals. To label JBS radical or extreme for agreeing with our nation's Founders is to place that same label on them.
Myth: The JBS message is hate-filled.-
Fact: There never has been any hate in our agenda and it will never be employed as a tactic. From the outset, membership in JBS has been strictly denied to haters and, should any member adopt a racist or anti-Semitic attitude or behavior, the membership of such a person will be permanently revoked.
Myth: The JBS Founder Robert Welch called President Dwight Eisenhower a Communist.-
Fact: Originally detailing some of Pres. Eisenhower's history in a 1954 letter sent privately to a few friends, Mr. Welch's research grew over several years into a full-length book entitled The Politician (1963). Once the book was published, its very existence was ignored while critics continued to dwell on only one of several possible conclusions offered by Mr. Welch.The book provides 300 pages and 150 pages of footnotes and documentation, including covering one of Mr. Eisenhower's most immoral and despicable acts of authorizing "Operation Keelhaul"; which used American soldiers to repatriate anti-communist Poles to their certain death or torture. Read the book for yourself and discover what Mr. Welch did say and learn the role played by Mr. Eisenhower over his many years as one of our nation's military and political leaders.
Myth: The JBS considers public water fluoridation part of a Communist mind-control plot.-
Fact: While the JBS doesn't agree with water fluoridation because it is a form of government mass medication of citizens in violation of their individual right to choose which medicines they ingest, it was never opposed as a mind-control plot. If citizens want to add fluoride to their diet or daily routine, there are plentiful opportunities for them to do so. It's a choice they should make, not their local government. Furthermore, opposition to fluoridation was never a major action item of any JBS campaign.
Myth: The JBS is nothing more than a group of conspiracy theorists.-
Fact: The John Birch Society reports on those that create and influence public policy and the motivations behind their actions. JBS directs members to counter unconstitutional actions through peaceful, educational means, including supporting or blocking legislation, setting up relationships with key elected officials and local leaders, and holding elected officials accountable to their oath of office. By definition, a conspiracy exists when two or more persons work secretly for an evil or unlawful purpose. Given the state that America is in today, one could argue that an unconstitutional agenda is no longer secret, but in the open for all to see. Those that continue to work against the Constitution do so brazenly, continuing to make promises and entitlements to citizens that the country cannot afford while committing future generations to crushing debt and ever decreasing prosperity at the expense of liberty.
Myth: The JBS was booted out of the conservative movement by William F. Buckley.-
Fact: In the mid-1950s on more than one occasion, John Birch Society Founder Robert Welch financially helped an up-and-coming conservative leader, and recommended that others do the same, so this rising young star could get his new magazine off the ground. That newcomer was William F. Buckley and his magazine was National Review. A few short years later, Mr. Buckley attacked Robert Welch in a lengthy article in his magazine. Over the past several decades, Buckley carried out a campaign of attacking or disparaging Welch and the Society. On numerous occasions, he boasted to friends that he intended to destroy The John Birch Society. He didn't succeed. Read more in John McManus' book, William F. Buckley: Pied Piper for the Establishment.
Myth: The JBS is against civil rights because it opposed several Civil Rights acts.-
Fact: Correcting civil rights abuses that do exist should be accomplished at the state and local level, something The John Birch Society members - of all races, colors and ethnic backgrounds - have always supported. Civil rights legislation should have come from the states and the communities rather than being used as a steppingstone toward our present-day out-of-control federal government.
Myth: The JBS is nothing more than controlled opposition, pretending to be a friend to the cause of liberty. Robert Welch sold his candy company to the leftist, internationalist Rockefellers.-
Fact: Robert Welch was out of the candy manufacturing business (retiring in 1956) when his brother (for whom he used to work) sold the James O. Welch Candy company to Nabisco in 1963. JBS has never been funded by any Rockefeller money. Nelson Rockefeller publicly attacked JBS, and JBS has exposed the Rockefeller support for the United Nations and its goal of a new world order more than any other organization.
Myth: The John Birch Society played a role in the assassination of President Kennedy.-
Fact: This is perhaps the most despicable myth. The truth is that The John Birch Society has always lived by the age-old adage that foul means can never be employed to accomplish a goal, no matter how important that goal. While JBS and its members called attention to the many dangerous and unconstitutional acts and programs promoted by President Kennedy, it has always been the Society's position that anything harmful to our country emanating from the White House should be countered by congressional or judicial action urged upon our nation's leaders by concerned American citizens. Immediately after the assassination, founder Robert Welch canceled the "For God and Country" rally that thousands had committed to attend in Boston the following day. He then sent a telegram of condolences to Mrs. Kennedy. In that brief message, published by the Boston Globe on November 23, 1963, Robert Welch stated: "On behalf of the Council of the John Birch Society and myself, I wish to express our deep sorrow at the untimely loss to our nation of its youngest elected President and to convey more particularly to you and all members of President Kennedy's family our sincere and heartfelt sympathy in your overwhelming personal loss.


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In honor of St. Patrick's Day: an excerpt from Irish Fairy Tales by James Stephens
James Stephens was an Irish author, poet, and actor. One of the things for which he was known was retellings of Irish folklore, and this is an excerpt from Irish Fairy Tales (1920).
One day something happened to Fionn, the son of Uail; that is, he departed from the world of men, and was set wandering in great distress of mind through Faery. He had days and nights there and adventures there, and was able to bring back the memory of these.
That, by itself, is wonderful, for there are few people who remember that they have been to Faery or aught of all that happened to them in that state.
In truth we do not go to Faery, we become Faery, and in the beating of a pulse we may live for a year or a thousand years. But when we return the memory is quickly clouded, and we seem to have had a dream or seen a vision, although we have verily been in Faery.
It was wonderful, then, that Fionn should have remembered all that happened to him in that wide-spun moment, but in this tale there is yet more to marvel at; for not only did Fionn go to Faery, but the great army which he had marshalled to Ben Edair [The Hill of Howth] were translated also, and neither he nor they were aware that they had departed from the world until they came back to it.
Fourteen battles, seven of the reserve and seven of the regular Fianna, had been taken by the Chief on a great march and manoeuvre. When they reached Ben Edair it was decided to pitch camp so that the troops might rest in view of the warlike plan which Fionn had imagined for the morrow. The camp was chosen, and each squadron and company of the host were lodged into an appropriate place, so there was no overcrowding and no halt or interruption of the march; for where a company halted that was its place of rest, and in that place it hindered no other company, and was at its own ease.
When this was accomplished the leaders of battalions gathered on a level, grassy plateau overlooking the sea, where a consultation began as to the next day's manoeuvres, and during this discussion they looked often on the wide water that lay wrinkling and twinkling below them.
A roomy ship under great press of sall was bearing on Ben Edair from the east.
Now and again, in a lull of the discussion, a champion would look and remark on the hurrying vessel; and it may have been during one of these moments that the adventure happened to Fionn and the Fianna.
"I wonder where that ship comes from?" said Cona'n idly.
But no person could surmise anything about it beyond that it was a vessel well equipped for war.
As the ship drew by the shore the watchers observed a tall man swing from the side by means of his spear shafts, and in a little while this gentleman was announced to Fionn, and was brought into his presence.
A sturdy, bellicose, forthright personage he was indeed. He was equipped in a wonderful solidity of armour, with a hard, carven helmet on his head, a splendid red-bossed shield swinging on his shoulder, a wide-grooved, straight sword clashing along his thigh. On his shoulders under the shield he carried a splendid scarlet mantle; over his breast was a great brooch of burnt gold, and in his fist he gripped a pair of thick-shafted, unburnished spears.
Fionn and the champions looked on this gentleman, and they admired exceedingly his bearing and equipment.
"Of what blood are you, young gentleman?" Fionn demanded, "and from which of the four corners of the world do you come?"
"My name is Cael of the Iron," the stranger answered, "and I am son to the King of Thessaly."
"What errand has brought you here?"
"I do not go on errands," the man replied sternly, "but on the affairs that please me."
"Be it so. What is the pleasing affair which brings you to this land?"
"Since I left my own country I have not gone from a land or an island until it paid tribute to me and acknowledged my lordship."
"And you have come to this realm," cried Fionn, doubting his ears.
"For tribute and sovereignty," growled that other, and he struck the haft of his spear violently on the ground.
"By my hand," said Cona'n, "we have never heard of a warrior, however great, but his peer was found in Ireland, and the funeral songs of all such have been chanted by the women of this land."
"By my hand and word," said the harsh stranger, "your talk makes me think of a small boy or of an idiot."
"Take heed, sir," said Fionn, "for the champions and great dragons of the Gael are standing by you, and around us there are fourteen battles of the Fianna of Ireland."
"If all the Fianna who have died in the last seven years were added to all that are now here," the stranger asserted, "I would treat all of these and those grievously, and would curtail their limbs and their lives."
"It is no small boast," Cona'n murmured, staring at him.
"It is no boast at all," said Cael, "and, to show my quality and standing, I will propose a deed to you."
"Give out your deed," Fionn commanded.
"Thus," said Cael with cold savagery. "If you can find a man among your fourteen battalions who can outrun or outwrestle or outfight me, I will take myself off to my own country, and will trouble you no more."
And so harshly did he speak, and with such a belligerent eye did he stare, that dismay began to seize on the champions, and even Fionn felt that his breath had halted.
"It is spoken like a hero," he admitted after a moment, "and if you cannot be matched on those terms it will not be from a dearth of applicants."
"In running alone," Fionn continued thoughtfully, "we have a notable champion, Caelte mac Rona'n."
"This son of Rona'n will not long be notable," the stranger asserted.
"He can outstrip the red deer," said Cona'n.
"He can outrun the wind," cried Fionn.
"He will not be asked to outrun the red deer or the wind," the stranger sneered. "He will be asked to outrun me," he thundered. "Produce this runner, and we shall discover if he keeps as great heart in his feet as he has made you think."
"He is not with us," Cona'n lamented.
"These notable warriors are never with us when the call is made," said the grim stranger.
"By my hand," cried Fionn, "he shall be here in no great time, for I will fetch him myself."
"Be it so," said Cael. "And during my absence," Fionn continued, "I leave this as a compact, that you make friends with the Fianna here present, and that you observe all the conditions and ceremonies of friendship."
Cael agreed to that.
"I will not hurt any of these people until you return," he said.
Fionn then set out towards Tara of the Kings, for he thought Caelte mac Romin would surely be there; "and if he is not there," said the champion to himself, "then I shall find him at Cesh Corran of the Fianna."
I believe Irish Fairy Tales originally appeared in 1920 in the USA, making it in the public domain in that country. This post by Bufo Calvin originally appeared in the I Love My Kindle blog.


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Order number: 37250
dried root, red
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dried root, red
- Chemical description: Alkannin; Natural Red 20, C.I. 77520
- Loeslichkeit insoluble
- ColorIndex NR 20.75520
- Color Red
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dried root, red
WARNING: Exercise care when using dry pigments. Do not eat, drink or smoke. Avoid breathing dust. Use a NIOSH-certified dust respirator. Wash hands immediately after use. If creation of dust is likely, wear protective clothing.
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Welcome to the 24BUYHK x HKTVMALL online store!
Enjoy the latest and most exciting shopping fun at 24BUYHK.
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Welcome to the 24BUYHK x HKTVMALL online store!
Enjoy the latest and most exciting shopping fun at 24BUYHK.
Welcome to 24BUYHK x HKTVMALL online store!
You can looking for any new tech gadgets, novelty products, gift ideas in 24BUYHK.
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my true love gave to me,
A wall full of Christmas Cards!!!
I have gotten so many wonderful cards from many new friends and old! Thank you all so much!
I helped Mommy send out some of our cards but this year we weren't able to send real cards to everybody. But don't worry she plans to send out an ecard to everyone tomorrow on CHRISTMAS EVE!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT"S ALREADY HERE?!
Eighteen Winter Wonderland Walks,
Sixteen cozy scenes for SANTA,
Fourteen bones from my calender,
If you want to play along, you can read the contest rules by clicking HERE !!
**GRAND PRIZE UPDATE** My friend Preston the Puggle has offered to MATCH my $25 grand prize donation to a shelter/rescue of your choice!! Wouldn't that be great to be able to give to YOUR shelter or rescue if you are the grand prize winner on CHRISTMAS?!
Well guess what!! Our fearless Commander TANK has ALSO offered to MATCH my $25 donation!! So now you will be able to give your organization $75!!! Isn't that just AMAZING!! I am just so overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and support and generosity from all of you to make this the BEST Holiday Season EVER!!
Thanks for playing with me and don't forget to tell your friends!! Thanks also to all my new friends I am meeting for coming over and leaving me so many wonderful comments! We are going to try to get to all your new blogs to properly sniff around and introduce ourselves but we are a bit overwhelmed with all there is to do right now! I will be sure to come by after the Holidays if not sooner though!! Please know I luv you!!
Please keep spreading the word of the contest! I know it is a busy time but we need more friends to play!!


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NOTICE: Many events listed here have been canceled or postponed due to the Covid-19 emergency. It is best to call ahead or check with organizer's websites to verify the status of any local event.
Polite Pooches: Basic Adult Obedience Class This course is a great first step in developing a lifelong friendship with your four-legged best friend. Learn positive, gentle methods to help communicate how you want your dog to behave. Basic obedience skills are covered along with Tellington Touch, and leading and teaching your dog self-control. Requirements: - Dogs must be spayed or neutered, older than 5 months (20 weeks) and must have up-to-date vaccinations. - Your dog must be calm and sociable around other dogs; not reactive. Examples of reactive behaviours: raised hackles, barking, lunging, growling, cowering, etc. (If your dog demonstrates these behaviours, skip to reactive dog classes) The Polite Pooches course focuses on instructing dog owners how to train their canine by applying the taught skills into everyday life with "marker-based" training. Polite Pooches will continue to offer the best certified Trainers instructing the basic adult dog obedience methods and skills in a humane way. Polite Pooches 6-wk Curriculum Price: $224 non-members, $190 for CHS members, seniors, dogs rescued from shelters/rescue organizations (including CHS, Animal Services, ARF, etc.) Fees are non-refundable. See more about all of our available courses here.
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Average vs. Marginal Effects of Health Insurance
I have to thank Ezra Klein. I have for some time been trying, without success, to spark a debate about whether expanding health insurance coverage would actually save any lives. Even my bet with Karen Davenport seemed to go nowhere. But when Klein accused Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) of being "willing to cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people" because Lieberman was jeopardizing passage of legislation that would expand health insurance to 30 million people, Klein made a debate possible.
Following on my first response to Klein that the evidence supporting his claim is remarkably thin, others have joined the discussion. Matt Yglesias of the Center for American Progress rose to Klein's defense. Megan McArdle (in The Atlantic magazine and her blog) and Tyler Cowen (at Marginal Revolution) both argue that we don't really know if Klein's claim is true.
Today, Yglesias poses the following question on his Twitter page:
Do rightwingers really believe that US health insurance has no mortality‐curbing impact?
I see two problems. First, there are no right‐wingers in this debate. McArdle, Cowen, and I all support gay marriage, for example.
Second, Yglesias sets up a straw man. He asks whether health insurance on average has a positive impact on mortality, when the debate is actually over the effect of health insurance at the margin. In other words, would covering the uninsured save lives?
I don't know anyone who thinks health insurance has zero effect on mortality overall. Yet it is entirely possible for the average effect to be positive and the marginal effect to be zero. One reason may be that the uninsured do benefit from the human and physical capital that health insurance makes possible. It may also be the case that when the uninsured do obtain health insurance, the additional medical care they receive is more likely to harm them than to help them. The researchers behind the RAND Health Insurance Experiment make essentially the same point.
If the marginal effect of health insurance on health is zero, it raises other interesting questions. Would it also have zero effect on health outcomes if we were to reduce the number of people with health insurance? What is the size of the margin over which health insurance has zero impact? (Robin Hanson suggests it may be very, very large.)
Klein recently declined an invitation to debate these issues at Cato. Too bad. This is worth pursuing.


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It's a Bloody Mary, which may be the most chemically complex cocktail in the world, broken down into its component flavors and ingredients.
The diagram by NPR's Adam Cole is based on the research of Neil Da Costa, a chemist who specializes in the chemical analysis. The magic thing about the Bloody Mary is that the hundreds of flavor compounds from its ingredients "cover almost the entire range of human taste sensations," except for bitterness, according to Da Costa. It delivers sweet, salty, sour and umami. (What's umami? NPR's got a killer story on that too.)
Da Costa's research isn't purely academic—he's got some tips to make the bestest Bloody Mary, based on science. The biggest one? Use cheap vodka and spend the money on excellent tomato juice. (But really, you should always use cheap vodka.) [ACS, NPR, Image: Adam Cole/NPR]


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Meggie was curled into a little heap, with her thumb in her mouth and her rag-decorated hair all around her. The only girl. Fee cast her no more than a passing glance before leaving; there was no mystery to Meggie, she Reebok Sneakers was female. Fee knew what her lot would be, and did not envy her or pity Reebok EasyTone her. The boys were different; they were miracles, males alchemized out of her female body. It was hard not having help around the house, but it was worth it. Among his peers, Paddy's sons were the greatest Reebok ZigTech character reference he possessed. Let a man breed sons and he was a real man. She closed the door to her own bedroom softly, and put the lamp down on a bureau. Her nimble fingers flew down the dozens of tiny buttons between the high collar and the hips of her dress, then peeled it away from her arms. She slipped the camisole off her arms also, and holding it very carefully against her chest, she wriggled into a long flannel nightgown. Only then, decently covered, did she divest herself of camisole, drawers and loosely laced stays. Down came the tightly knotted golden hair, all its Reebok Pumps pins put into a paua shell on the bureau. But even this, beautiful as it was, thick and shining and very straight, was not permitted freedom; Fee got her elbows up over her head and her hands behind her neck, and began to braid it swiftly. She turned then toward the bed, her breathing unconsciously suspended; but Paddy was asleep, so she heaved a gusty sigh of relief. Not that it wasn't nice when Paddy was in the mood, for he was a shy, tender, considerate lover. But until Meggie was two or three years older it would be very hard to have more babies.
When the Clearys went to church on Sundays, Meggie had to stay home with one of the older boys, longing for the day when she, too, would be old enough to go. Padraic Cleary held that small children had no place Reebok Shoes in any house save their own, and his rule held even for a house of worship. When Meggie commenced school and could be trusted to sit still, she could come to church. Not before. So every Sunday morning she stood by the gorse bush at the front gate, desolate, while the family piled into the old shandrydan and the brother delegated to mind her tried to Reebok Runtone pretend it was a great treat escaping Mass. The only Cleary who relished separation from the rest was Frank. Paddy's religion was an intrinsic part of his life. When he had married Fee it had been with grudging Catholic approval, for Fee was a member of Reebok the Church of England; though she abandoned her faith for Paddy, she refused to adopt his in its stead. Difficult to say why, except that the Armstrongs were old pioneering stock of impeccable Church of England extraction, where Paddy was a penniless immigrant from the wrong side of the Pale. There had been Armstrongs in New Zealand long before the first "official" settlers arrived, and that was a passport to colonial aristocracy. From the Armstrong point of view, Fee could only be ZigTech said to have contracted a shocking mesalliance.


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It's not often that you'll see me extolling a dish for its hearth healthy qualities. It's not that I don't care about good health, it's more that I prefer to focus on eating a diet that is balanced, with the philosophy that "all things in moderation" will render it unnecessary to have to specifically seek out recipes that are low cholesterol or low fat or whatever. But at the beginning of this year, Marvin let it be known that he'd like us to eat less meat and more vegetables and grains. He specifically requested whole grain salads, which I already make from time to time and which are great for quick lunches when you have the hectic schedule of a freelance photographer.
I happily obliged by adapting a recipe from Once Upon a Tart (a great cookbook for soups and side salads) with wheatberries, beets and pomegranate. The recipe instructs you to fold in the beets and pomegranate at the end so they don't stain the salad, but I wanted the dramatic, deep reddish-magenta hue to soak into the wheatberries… so much prettier and seasonally appropriate. The salad is quite good as it is, but even better with a little crumbled feta or fresh goat cheese on top. (This I would add at the last minute though, since I draw the line at pink cheese.) Although there's no reason not to make this any time of the year, it would make a dramatic Valentine side dish- I plan to serve it alongside a venison tenderloin tomorrow. And you can serve it feeling comforted in the knowledge that you're not potentially bringing about your loved one's early demise with rich foods. If you do have a decadent main dish or dessert planned, no worries- it's all about balance.
Wheatberry Salad with Beets, Pomegranate & Cherries (loosely adapted from Once Upon a Tart)
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Prep time: 15 minutes/ Cook time: 30 minutes (inactive)/ Serves 8 as a side dish
2 cups wheatberries, rinsed
1 lb beets, peeled with a vegetable peeler and quartered
¼ cup dried cherries, chopped (cranberries may be substituted)
1 shallot, minced
seeds and juice of 1 pomegranate
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil plus additional for roasting beets
½ tsp salt plus additional for cooking
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
a few turns of black pepper
optional: 2 ounces crumbled feta or goat cheese
Preheat oven to 425°. Toss the beets with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and place on a foil-covered baking sheet. Roast until they are easily pierced with a fork, about 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the wheatberries in a medium pot with a lid. Cover with plenty of cold, salted water. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until done (about 20 minutes)- they should yield to the tooth but remain pleasantly chewy. Drain, return to the pot, add the cherries or cranberries and cover (this helps plump the fruit).
While the beets and wheatberries are cooking, combine the shallot, pomegranate juice, vinegar, and salt. You can do this in the bowl you plan to serve the salad in.
When the beets have cooled enough to handle, cut them into ½-inch dice. Place all ingredients except olive oil in a serving dish and stir well to combine, adding the olive oil after the wheatberries have had a chance to soak up some of the vinegar and pomegranate juice. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, vinegar or pepper as needed. If desired, serve with crumbled feta or goat cheese on top.


text: Notary Bulletin RSS December 2013 2013 Notary Laws: The Year In Review By Kelle Clarke on December 30, 2013 - 2013 was a light year for Notary-related legislation based on the number of bills introduced. But the bills that did pass were not light on substance.Read full articleFive Myths About Background Screenings Explained By David Thun on December 30, 2013 - Signing agents have asked many questions about the annual background check prescribed by the Signing Professionals Workgroup. Christopher Ballas, CEO of Backgrounds Online, answers questions about screenings and clears up some common misconceptions.Read full articleHotline Tip: Recording Signer ID In Notary Journals By Kelle Clarke on December 30, 2013 - As a Florida Notary, am I required to record a signer's driver's license number in my notarial journal?Read full articleKansas Sends First Electronic 'Apostille' Certificate By David Thun on December 30, 2013 - Kansas recently became the first U.S. state to send a paperless apostille — a certificate used to verify notarial acts and other important records — to another country.Read full articleWWYD Answer: The Case Of The Missing Figures By Kelle Clarke on December 30, 2013 - On Dec. 19 we posed a scenario, The Case of the Missing Figures, about a Notary who was asked by a signer to notarize a promissory note that was missing critical information, including the final loan amount. The question is: Was the Notary correct in refusing the notarization, and what explanation should be given to the signer?Read full articleHotline Tip: Notary Stamp On Motor Vehicle Titles By Kelle Clarke on December 23, 2013 - As a Pennsylvania Notary, I am interested in being able to notarize vehicle titles. Does this require a special commission or customized stamp?Read full articleNOTY 2014 Nominations Must Be Submitted By Dec. 31 By David Thun on December 23, 2013 - There are only a few more days left to submit nominations for Notary of the Year 2014, so be sure to send in yours by Dec. 31.Read full articleCountdown To Notary Of The Year 2014 Deadline By David Thun on December 19, 2013 - There are only 12 more days to submit your nomination for the 2014 Notary of the Year. Be sure to nominate any deserving Notary you know by December 31.Read full articleHotline Tip: Notarizing Documents For My Own Business By Kelle Clarke on December 19, 2013 - Can I notarize documents related to my own business or is it a conflict of interest because I am the owner of the company? If so, could I have my husband perform the notarization, as I am a sole proprietor?Read full articleNational Foreclosure Proceedings Hit 95-Month Low By Kelle Clarke on December 19, 2013 - The foreclosure crisis may finally be nearing its end. According to the latest report from RealtyTrac, foreclosure proceedings dropped dramatically in November, representing a 32 percent decrease from 2012 and the lowest number since December 2005.Read full article123 123


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322 Lewis Street
Oakland, CA 94607, U.S.A.View Map
Phone: 510-836-1414
Fax: 510-763-4431
Email: email@example.com
URL: http://www.brucebeasley.com
More Information
"Bruce Beasley's works are space - enveloping and space - defining. His engagement with spatial problems shows association with Eduardo Chillida's work, with whom he is a friend. Beasley makes space something that can be vigorously experienced and defined by mass and volume to create the impression of silence or movement." -Dr. Manfred Fath, Director, Museum of Art, Mannheim, Germany
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1957-59
University of California, Berkeley, California, B.A. 1962
Beasley's sculptures are in the permanent collection of 36 Art Museums world-wide including:
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
The Guggenheim Museum, New York
The National Art Museum of China, Beijing
Musee d'Art Modern, Pompidou Center, Paris
Museum of Art, Mannheim, Germany
National Museum of American Art, Washington DC
Islamic Museum, Cairo, Egypt
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, New Jersey
Beasley has had 51 solo exhibitions at museums and galleries including:
M.H. deYoung Memorial Museum, San Francisco
State Art Museum, Mannheim, Germany
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Yorkshire, England
The Oakland Museum, 45-Year Retrospective, Oakland, California
Shanghai Sculpture Space, Shanghai, China
San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, California
Rudolfinum Museum, Prague, Czech Republic
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, California
Andre Emmerich Gallery, New York
Scheffel Gallery, Bad Homberg, Germany
Galerie Marie-Louise Wirth, Zurich, Switzerland
Utermann Gallery, Dortmund, Germany
Beasley has been included in over 200 group exhibitions world-wide including:
"The Art of Assemblage", Museum of Modern Art, New York,.1961
"Painting and Sculpture Acquisitions", Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1962
"Biennale de Paris", Musee d'Art Moderne, Paris, 1963,
"Monumenta, 19th Sculpture Biennial", Middelheim Sculpture Park, Antwerp, Belgium, 1987,
"7th International Cairo Biennale", Cairo, Egypt, 1999,
"Celebrating Modern Art", San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2000, and the
"Sterling Stuff", Royal Academy of Arts, London, United Kingdom, 2003
"Digital Stone Exhibition", Today Art Museum, Beijing, China, 2008
"Contemporary Sculpture 2011", Datong, China 2011
Beasley has done 30 monumental sculpture commissions for cities and institutions including:
Federal Office Building, San Diego, California
Federal Home Loan Bank, San Francisco, California
State of California, Capitol Office Building, Sacramento, California
State of California, State Office Building, San Bernardino, California
San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco
Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida
City of Anchorage, Alaska
City of Bad Homberg, Germany
City of Beijing, Sculpture commissioned for the Beijing Olympic Games
City of Dortmund, Germany
City of Eugene, Oregon
City of Fremont, California
City of Mannheim, Germany
City of Monterrey, Mexico
City of Oakland, California
City of Palo Alto, California
City of Salinas, California
City of Shanghai, Sculpture commissioned for the World Expo 2010
City of South San Francisco, California
City of WuHu, China
Stanford University, Stanford, California, (2 pieces)
University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
Beasley's work has been included in 145 books and catalogs including:
Sculpture by Bruce Beasley: A 45-Year Retrospective. Oakland Museum of California.
The Art of Assemblage. William Seitz. The Museum of Modern Art. New York. 1961.
Late Modern, The Visual Arts Since 1945. E. Lucie-Smith. Praeger Publishers, New York. 1969.
Painting and Sculpture in The Museum of Modern Art, 1929-1967. Alfred H. Barr, Jr.
The Place of Art in the World of Architecture. Donald Thalacker. Chelsea House
Publishers. New York: 1980. Preface by Sam Hunter, Princeton University
The Art of California. Christina Orr-Cahall. The Oakland Museum. 1984.
The Art of the San Francisco Bay Area: 1945 to 1980. Thomas Albright:
University of California Press. Berkeley. 1985.
Bruce Beasley / Sculpture. Peter Selz & Manfred Fath. Mannheim Museum of Art. 1994
Contemporary Outdoor Sculpture. Brooke Barrie. Rockport Publishers, Inc.
Gloucester, Mass. 1999.
Celebrating Modern Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
University of California Press. Berkeley. 2000.
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John Riccitiello, the man at the top of publisher EA, has long stressed that "quality" is paramount under his reign at the company. But the CEO who normally loves to promote high Metacritic scores is also fine with "pretty good."
Asked yesterday about the review scores of the recently launched Medal of Honor—which is enjoying a pretty decent 75 out of 100 average on Metacritic—Riccitiello weighed in on the game's reviews and how the mass market, not the "core game reviewer," responded.
"First off, the game is rated mid-70s, almost 20 ratings rated 90 or above," Riccitiello said. "So as an observation, mid-70s is generally perceived to be pretty good. I think, ultimately, what happened there and pretty much as we'd expected, the game appeals really well to a mass market, your average gamer."
"There is a small minority of folks, sometimes well represented by core gamer reviewers or game magazine reviewers, where best I can tell there's been 80 or 90 hours a week playing first-person shooters," he continued. "They are very core to that segment, and some of them didn't like the title."
I don't know who spends 80 or 90 hours a week playing a first-person shooter, but if they do, they probably have very very very specific tastes.
EA says Medal of Honor, despite selling at a healthy pace so far, didn't meet its own quality expectations.


text:
Hi all,
I just began running the BW9 Mac preview and found an issue, I searched the forum but didn't find any reference to this.
When I view any text in the ESV the notes show up in the reading pane in XML (or something similar) format. See below:
This behavior appears consistent throughout the ESV but does not appear to affect other versions (I checked numerous, but not all). The notes do also appear properly in the analysis window as usual but they just don't seem to be hidden in the reading pane as they should be.Code:
ESV Judges 1:1 After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel ainquired of the LORD, b"Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?" {
<rsup>a</rsup> Num 27:21; 1Sa 22:10; 2Sa 2:1
<rsup>b</rsup> ch. 20:18 } (Jdg 1:1 ESV)
I am running Version 9r3-3 (22.214.171.124056).


text:
Let G(q) be the generating function for partitions such that if k is a part, then it occurs once and k+1 is not a part.
Let H(q) be the generating function for partitions with the same condition plus that 1 is not a part.
These are the left-hand sides of the Rogers-Ramanujan Identities.
I am intrigued by the following unreferenced statement in the wikipedia page:
If q = e2πiτ, then q−1/60G(q) and q11/60H(q) are modular functions of τ.
Do modular forms shed any light on the Rogers-Ramanujan Identities, or is the connection (as far as we know) a curious coincidence?
Is there some class of modular forms whose Fourier series count natural collections of partitions such as those counted by the left-hand sides of the Rogers-Ramanujan Identities? In particular I have in mind the seemingly "non-local" condition that if k is part, then it is distinct and also k+1 is not parts.
In general, how does one tell if a certain generating function (that counts partitions of a certain type, say) is related (by a multiplicative factor like above) to a modular form of some weight for some group (maybe even with some character)?


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Battlestar Galactica - Season 2.0
"Mankind's true nature will always assert itself." - Number Six
A quarter century after it originally premiered on ABC, Battlestar Galactica was still one of the most talked about concepts in TV Land. The short-lived network series about a rag-tag fleet of human survivors in search of the mythical planet Earth had captured the imaginations of many, and it seemed that every year produced a new set of rumors about a return to the Galactica universe. In late 2003, amid quite a bit of fan controversy, the rumors finally became reality and took form in a 3-hour miniseries from the mind of Star Trek alumnus Ronald D. Moore. Not just a simple update, Moore's vision exhibited many significant changes to the story, and while the miniseries was flawed and met with mixed reviews, it showed more than enough promise to green light a 13-episode season to air nearly a year later. With a stellar premiere episode ("33"), the new series hit the ground running, left its skeptics in the dust, and became a bona fide hit in a television landscape almost completely devoid of quality science fiction stories. Quickly capitalizing on this success, an extended 20-episode second season was commissioned, beginning just 6 months after the initial one, and was split into 2 10-episode halves. Universal now presents the first of those halves in "Battlestar Galactica - Season 2.0".
N.B. This review discusses major plot points from the first season of Battlestar Galactica. Proceed with caution.
The second season of Battlestar Galactica begins right where the first one left off. Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) is in critical condition after taking two shots to the chest from Sharon "Boomer" Valerii (Grace Park). The crew of the Raptor One -- including Chief Tyrol (Aaron Douglas) and Dr. Gaius Baltar (James Callis) -- are stranded on Kobol. Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (Katee Sackhoff) has returned to Caprica to find the Arrow of Apollo and meet up with "Helo" (Tahmoh Penikett) and the other Sharon. And President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) is locked away in the brig after undermining Adama's military mission and sending "Starbuck" on a religious quest. To say that the leadership of the fleet is in disarray is an understatement, and as the season begins, Colonel Tigh (Michael Hogan) reluctantly assumes control of the situation.
Like the first season's premiere episode "33", the second season premiere "Scattered" attempts to do something a bit unique. While Tigh tries to lead the fleet under extraordinary circumstances, we are presented with flashback sequences that cover the genesis of his relationship with Adama. Seeking to answer the questions of why these two men are friends and how they ended up together on this ship, the concept is strong, but the execution is not always crisp, and the season does not start off as strongly as the first. However, this premiere episode and subsequent ones do a lot to further develop Tigh as a character. During the first season, we only saw glimpses of what he could do, but here he takes center stage, with his strengths and weaknesses hanging out for all to see. During an immediate crisis, he is exceptional, making the quick and difficult decisions that save lives; but when the crisis is over, his ability to continue leading is seriously lacking, particularly in the areas of politics and personal relationships. Hogan handles the increased reliance on his character very well, but the scripts hammer home the influence of his wife and his struggle with alcoholism a little too much.
Having Tigh in charge of the fleet is not the only changing dynamic in this second season. President Roslin's incarceration and subsequent response are establishing her as more than just an effective political leader but a religious figure as well. Her quest to find the Arrow of Apollo and take it down to the surface of Kobol is not an isolated one and becomes the shared goal of many within the fleet. Because of this, Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama (Jamie Bamber) is constantly in the middle, having already opposed his father's attempt to remove her from power and now forced to make even more difficult choices as the situation spirals further out of control.
As the first episode's title "Scattered" indicates, much of the action in the early episodes of this season is split between three primary places: the fleet, the surface of Kobol, and the surface of Caprica. While those within the fleet are struggling to keep this fragile alliance from crumbling apart, the crew of the Raptor One have their own problems on Kobol. As is often the case with this series, these people have been thrust into a situation they're not completely prepared to deal with, and the ranking officer "Crashdown" (Sam Witwer) is starting to crack under the pressure. One mistake after another frequently places them in harm's way, and Dr. Baltar's skewed sense of reality just serves to make matters worse.
On Caprica, "Starbuck" has found the Arrow of Apollo as well as her shipmate "Helo", but she also finds herself behind enemy lines with little support on a planet that is currently occupied by a Cylon invasion. The time we spent on Caprica in the first season always felt forced. It was clear that the creators had a purpose for "Helo" and his version of Sharon, so naturally we had to keep revisiting them from time to time, but it distracted from the main plot and often retraced its steps just to keep reminding us they were there. With the introduction of "Starbuck", however, the scenes on Caprica take on much greater meaning, and the relationship between "Helo" and Sharon begins to have purpose. Having such an important character spend so much time away from the primary plot is a bolt choice, but it works very well as we follow "Starbuck" through a series of adventures on Caprica.
Much like the first season, this second season also spends an incredible amount of time inside Dr. Baltar's head, and to steal a line from James Callis, it often strays too far into Baltarstar Galactica territory. His character is certainly interesting, and the idea of using the Number Six character in his head provides some intriguing analysis, but there is so much of it that at times it loses its effect. Increasing chatter about the "baby" that was established in "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 2" further bogs down these scenes. While it's clear there is a purpose to all of this in the grand scheme, too much time is devoted to repeating the same information and keeping us away from the strength of the series.
That strength, of course, is the human relationships. What makes Battlestar Galactica such an effective series is how grounded it is in the reality of its situation. The men and women serving aboard the Galactica and throughout the fleet are not trained to be heroes. They are ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Sometimes they make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes lead to tragic events. With the fate of all humanity resting on their shoulders, though, and under constant pursuit from the Cylons, there is no time to wallow in self pity or point fingers at one another. Everyone must face the consequences of their mistakes and carry on. Key members of the fleet cannot simply be fired and replaced by more effective personnel, because this is all that remains of the human race, and mistakes or not, personality conflicts or not, they have to make the most of what they have in order to survive.
There was so much controversy when this series was announced, particularly casting "Starbuck" as a woman and using humanoid Cylons, but it is interesting to note that these are two of the strongest aspects of this update to the Galactica concept. "Starbuck" is a fantastic character with depth and charm, and Katee Sackhoff could not be more perfect in the role. She carries herself with a detailed mix of strength and beauty, and the character she has crafted stands so well on her own that it is near impossible to compare against Dirk Benedict. As for the Cylons being humanoid, this too adds something to the new series that was lacking before. The Cylons were created by Man and are therefore fascinated by us. Their creation of 12 humanoid models allows the series to ask numerous complex questions and investigate the nature of humanity itself. What separates man from machine? What defines our humanity? And why do we really deserve to survive?
Along with questions of our humanity, spirituality and prophecy have been the hallmarks of Ron Moore's work in television. From Star Trek: Deep Space Nine to Carnivàle, the search for greater meaning, often with the guiding force of prophecy, is something he handles very well, and working with writer/producer David Eick, he has infused the Galactica universe with these themes. This second season includes even more prophecy than the first, and most of it is effective. Having seen only half of this season, though, it is difficult to assess whether the destination is going to be worth the journey. At present, everything still holds together, but it is hard to escape the feeling that things are being dragged out more than is necessary. The interactions between the humanoid Cylons are frustratingly vague, when it is abundantly clear there is purpose behind their actions, and over time, the repetitive scenes with Baltar and Number Six border on annoying. As the series is still in its infancy, and the second season is not even complete, I will reserve my criticism in this area until it becomes more clear where they are taking the story. I wish for the best, though, and episodes from this season like "Home (Part 2)" and "Flight of the Phoenix" give me hope that compelling resolutions are on the horizon.
In the end, the series works best when it is at its simplest. While the questions of prophecy and the Cylon motivations are certainly interesting, it is the human relationships under extraordinary circumstances that make the series so enjoyable and stand apart from much of what is on television, and there many episodes in this second season that succeed in that goal. Humanity is on the run from the relentless pursuit of a superior force determined to wipe them from existence. Such a set of circumstances creates some very unique story possibilities, and Battlestar Galactica takes advantage of those opportunities. Even with a huge cast of characters, no one gets lost in the shuffle, and the way these differing individuals with their own unique skills and personalities handle the staggeringly difficult task before them is what drives the series. As Moore says in his "Bible" for the show, "The series is about a chase. Let the chase begin."
This first half of the second season of Battlestar Galactica is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen with anamorphic enhancement. The previous release had some quality issues both with the audio and the video, but none of that is present here. From the muted colors of the spacecraft to the radioactive surface of Caprica to the remarkable battles in space, everything looks pretty good on this release. There is a significant amount of grain throughout there series, but that is simply the style of the show. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is effective, and unlike the previous release, the action sequences and dialogue are balanced properly.
The 10 episodes are spread across 3 discs, each stored in a slim thinpak-style case. The 3 cases slide into the side of a glossy cardboard enclosure that gives off a red "glowing" effect when light hits the eyes of the Cylons. The main menu on the DVD features a static screen with the series theme playing in the background. It isn't anything special, but it is effective, and navigation is simple, with options for "Scene Selection" and "Play All" features.
The first 9 episodes each contain Deleted Scenes, some more than others. Most notably, the premiere episode "Scattered" features almost 17 minutes of deleted material that shows how the episode was originally scripted. Before it was edited down, a significant amount of time was spent establishing the relationship between Adama and Tigh. Some of these scenes work better than others, so it's understandable that they would cut them out, but the final product loses a lot in the translation as well. Seeing these pieces here certainly helps the viewer understand what they were attempting to achieve.
For 7 of the 10 episodes, there are Audio Commentaries taken from Ron Moore's online "podcasts" (definition). While the term is certainly a big buzzword, in most cases, it is just an audio file you download over the Internet, and during the show's run, the series creator recorded these audio commentaries for the fans. 7 of those are included here, with a hole for "Fragged" because he was on vacation at the time. Sadly, though, "Flight of the Phoenix" and "Pegasus", the last two episodes in the set, are without commentary as well. As they were recorded and are downloadable from the official site, I can only guess that the DVDs went into production too quickly to have them included or that they are being held for an inevitable re-release of the entire season.
If you are keeping track, that means no commentary or deleted scenes for the season's biggest episode to date, "Pegasus". Also, rumors that there would be an extended version of this episode on this DVD are not true. With the credits, it runs just over 45 minutes. TV Shows on DVD reports that this extended version will be on the next set, but at press time, there was no official announcement. All things considered, it is disappointing that this episode just sits there all alone on the set.
While listening to the same man discuss his television show for almost 7 hours can get tiresome at times, these commentaries are nonetheless very interesting listens. As the head writer/producer on the series, Moore knows just about everything there is to know about it, so he is not lacking when it comes to information. There are times when he is a bit too self-congratulatory, erroneously declaring that certain things have never been done on television before, but other times, he is very humble about his work and willing to point out why certain dramatically flawed decisions had to be made to appease those who pay the bills. Recorded at his house, often with traffic heard in the background, these are raw and candid commentaries that are definitely worth a listen if you enjoy the series and have not already heard them on the Internet.
There is also a "Battlestar Galactica Sneak Peak" that promotes the airing of the rest of the season. There really isn't much here other than promotional fluff. Also there are brief advertisements for 3 Universal DVD releases at the beginning of the first disc: Serenity, The Island, and SeaQuest DSV.
Battlestar Galactica is a refreshingly dark and realistic television series. It is relentless in its goal and does not pull any punches when it comes to the consequences of the story being presented. With clever plots, strong performances, and some of the best special effects ever on television, this beginning to the second season is even more enjoyable than the first, building on the characters and situations it established in that inaugural effort. While some of the prophecy and interactions between the Cylons can get tedious, this is largely a very entertaining show and one of a precious few quality science fiction series currently on television. As this is only the first half of a season that will likely be repackaged at a later date, and it includes very little in the way of previously unavailable special features at a hefty MSRP, I'm not sure you should rush out and immediately purchase this for your collection, but the episodes are very solid, and their presentation on the DVD is high quality. Recommended.
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Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Julia J. Rathgeber of Austin as the commissioner of Insurance to replace former Texas Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman. Rathgeber's term expires Feb. 1, 2015.
Rathgeber is a lawyer with an undergraduate and law degree from University of Texas at Austin and political figure, serving until today as the deputy chief of staff for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.
Her experience is not insurance-related but instead in environmental and conservation roles. Rathgeber was director of research for the Texas General Land Office and a past director of the strategic assessment division for the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission — now the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
However, she does have soem insurance-related experience, Texas say.
The Texas online directory now has Rathgeber listed as insurance commissioner, but a spokesman was not sure if she was in the office today.
Kitzman (right) was forced to resign because she could not get confirmed by the state legislature, which, according to press reports, wanted a formal appointment letter from Gov. Perry supporting her confirmation amid criticism from both chambers for being either too close to industry or too anti-industry depending up on the partisanship of the members.
Rathgeber will not need to undergo the same process of confirmation until the state legislature meets again in two years.
"Julia is an experienced public servant with a strong grasp of regulatory issues," R Street Texas Director Julie Drenner said. "We look forward to working with her on reform of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, and particularly to our proposals to increase the agency's transparency and limit its subsidies to the wealthiest property owners."
The American Council of Life Insurers shared the sentiment. "We look forward to working with Commissioner Rathgeber. The life insurance industry has a significant presence in Texas. 556 life insurers are licensed to do business in Texas and 121 are domiciled in the state. In 2011 alone, life insurers paid $5.3 billion in death benefits and $4 billion in annuity benefits."
A spokesperson for the department said Kitzman's last day in the office was May 27. The spokesman was not aware of her future plans although she has made clear to National Underwriter's property casualty edition earlier this month she would get another job.
Kitzman was known for her international regulatory involvement and her work shepherding the rancorous debate over Actuarial Guideline 38, (AG38) from a regulatory food-fight into an NAIC-industry-agreeable solution. Kitzman led a joint working group of the Life Insurance and Annuities, and the Financial Condition Committee.
This commissioner-level working group was created under then-NAIC President Kevin McCarty's leadership.
The work involved reviewing and realigning reserving methodologies for certain universal life products with secondary guarantees (ULSG) and creating a unified approach. It also involved hiring outside consulting actuaries.
As chair of the working group, Kitzman made it clear after listening to industry concerns that "many things are to be worked out but a level playing field is at the top of the list."
The NAIC's Joint Committee took a bifurcated approach between old business and prospective business that created revisiting reserves for prior years for some companies.
Kitzman was appointed in August 2011 and her term was set to expire, requiring state Senate confirmation, in February of this year.
During an interview with Chad Hemenway of National Underwriter's PC360 edition on May 21 in Austin, Kitzman said she hadn't "thought about leaving her post," but was instead "focused on doing my job for as long as I have this job."
Kitzman referenced the people of the small, farming community of West, Texas — site of the massive fertilizer explosion last month — to explain her philosophy: "I spent a lot of time [in West]," she said. "Farmers maybe have a different view of the world. Life goes on. There is a still a job to do, no matter what."
At the time of the interview on May 21, it appeared unlikely Kitzman would receive confirmation. Kitzman also was scheduled to appear on a panel at the NAIC International Forum in Washington, D.C., May 10-11, but could not make it possibly due to her confirmation troubles in Texas.
At the time, Kitzman acknowledged her uncertain job future by saying: "This is what I do, not who I am. I've had a job before this one and I'll have another one after it."
One such previous job was as director of the South Carolina Department of Insurance before coming to Texas. She also worked in the private insurance and reinsurance industries.
Kitzman is not the only one leaving the Texas Department of Insurance. Additionally, well-regarded Danny Seanz, deputy commissioner of the financial regulation division, who does a lot of NAIC committee work, and Audrey Seldon, deputy commissioner of the compliance division, are retiring later this year, PC360 reported.
Senate Nominations Committee Chairman Glenn Hegar Jr., R-Katy, Texas, told PC360 that he had listened to "adamant" senators for and against Kitzman, who took over for Mike Geeslin after he left the post midterm.
Without going into specifics, Hegar says those against Kitzman are upset with the "way [Kitzman has] handled some issues." Lawmakers have previously spoken about the commissioner's tendency to approve homeowner's insurance rate hikes without much scrutiny.
Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, who is on the Senate Nominations Committee, flatly told PC360. "I'm not for her."
Kitzman reportedly fell to windpool insurance issues, politicking and other issues involving legislative foes in 2007 in South Carolina under then-Gov. Mark Sanford when insurance commissioner.
She was later executive director of the state's Budget and Control Board under South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley before being chosen by Gov. Perry to lead the Texas department. At that office she had five bosses and ran afoul of at least one of them when she received flack for earlier comments made in a March 2011 editorial defending her friend (and one of her bosses) Gov. Haley on recent controversial administrative decisions with tough language from hard-learned life lessons.
"We must be fearless and willing to work hard, make good choices and, most importantly, never give up in pursuit of a dream," she wrote in the 2011 newspaper editorial. Earlier news accounts have noted Kitzman did not grow up in a "Leave It to Beaver" household and overcame many odds with determination and grit.
Kitzman is also a former clerk for the Texas Supreme Court, and a past associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss and Feld. She has been a member of the State Bar of Texas and South Carolina Bar Association.
Kitzman received a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and a law degree from South Texas College of Law.


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